AutomatedTrain showcases the future of driverless rail travel

• Technical feasibility of fully automated driving (GoA4) in open rail networks successfully proven
• Foundations laid for the standardization and future implementation of fully automated rail systems
• Fully automated deployment and stabling runs demonstrated as the first concrete use case on a Siemens Mobility Mireo train

The joint project AutomatedTrain has reached a major milestone on the path towards fully automated rail transport. Siemens Mobility, together with Deutsche Bahn and other project partners from industry and science, has developed the foundations and concepts for fully automated train operations. As part of the research project, innovative technologies were developed and integrated by Siemens Mobility into a Mireo train. This enabled successful testing and demonstration of the technical feasibility of fully automated train deployment as well as stabling operations. During this process, the train receives a command to start, prepares itself for operation autonomously, conducts all required self-tests, and subsequently travels driverless from the depot to its starting station. During the journey, the train independently detects obstacles and reacts appropriately.

Marc Ludwig, CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility:

“AutomatedTrain demonstrates that fully automated driving in open rail systems is feasible. Together with our partners, we have developed the decisive technologies and successfully demonstrated them with our Mireo train. This creates the technological foundation for the next generation of rail transport and marks a significant step forward in bringing automation to the railway.”

Johannes Steiniger, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy: “What we are seeing here is the future of mobility. Research is being carried out here into how fully automated trains can be deployed in the future. Driverless train services offer opportunities – particularly in times of a skills shortage – to continue to operate rail routes reliably in the future and to deploy trains more flexibly. The project also demonstrates just how much promising and profitable work can emerge from Germany as a centre of research when industry, infrastructure companies and academia work together to shape the future.”

With the AutomatedTrain project, Siemens is demonstrating fully automated train operation - from vehicle preparation and driverless travel to the automated stabling of the train. This is based on the interplay of Automatic Train Operation (ATO), signaling technology based on the European Train Control System (ETCS), intelligent vehicle control systems, and innovative recognition technologies of the environment. Using a digital map and high-precision localization, state-of-the-art sensor systems detect obstacles on the track and enable the train to react automatically.

The heart of the solution is AVVO (Advanced Vital Vehicle Operation). This safety-related platform handles selected safety-critical functions and supports the automated execution of operational processes. AVVO connects all systems relevant to automated operation, controls functions such as vehicle preparation, direction of travel, and braking, monitors safe train movement, and ensures that the vehicle automatically transitions to a safe state in the event of any malfunction. Furthermore, AVVO enables secure communication with the control center.

In addition to practical testing, the project involved working systematically with partners to develop the requirements and a consistent architecture for future fully automated rail systems. These served as the basis for the technical solutions on the train. Simultaneously, important groundwork was laid for the transfer into standardization and the subsequent approval of such technologies.

The research project was part of the German Government’s economic stimulus package and was co-funded by the European Union (German Recovery and Resilience Plan). The findings and technologies resulting from the project show that fully automated driving in open rail networks is no longer just a vision but can be technically realized. Thus, the AutomatedTrain research project is making a vital contribution to the mobility of the future.